Cover-applying mechanism for can-washing machines.



H. D. LATHROP 6; W. H. PAULSON. COVER APPLYING MECHANISM FOR CAN WASHINGMACHINES- APPLICATION man FEB. I6. 1912.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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H. D. LATHROP & W. H. PAULSON. COVER APPLYING MECHANISM FOR CAN WASHINGMACHINES.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, I917- LMKWQQ Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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H. D. LATHROP & W. H. PAULSON. COVER APPLYING MECHANISM FOR CAN WASHINGMACHINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1917.

LQWBQQ Patented Nov. 2?, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

H. D. LATHROP & W. H. PAULSON.

COVER APPLYING MECHANISM FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 16 I917- ]Patentedl. Nov. 27, 191?.

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HARRY I). LATHRO]? AND WALTER H. PAULSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Nov. 25?, 191W.

' Application filed February 16, 1917. Serial No. 149,102.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HARRY D. LATHROP- andWALTER H. PAULSON, citizens of the United States, and residents of thecity of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cover-Applying Mechanism forCan-Washing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in can washing machines designedfor use particularly in connection with milk cans, the presentimprovement being particularly directed at the mechanism forhandling'thecans and covers after the same have passed through' thecleaning operation and are readyfor discharge from the machine.

The object of our invention is the production of improved can-reversingand coverapplying mechanism, whereby the cans and covers will bepositively and expeditiously handled to effect discharge of the cans inupright position and with the covers applied thereto.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can Washing machine embodying theinvention,

Fig. 2, a partially sectional top plan view of the discharge end of themachine, the position of the machine as here shown being reversed ascompared with Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2, except that the cover guiding andhandling mechanism is omitted in order to expose underlying parts, 5

Fig. 4, a side elevation of the discharge end of the machine, as seen inFigs. 2 and 3,

one side of the housing of the machine being I removed to exposeunderlying parts,

Fig. 5, a vertical longitudinal section of the discharge end of themachine viewing the same from the same side as Fig. 1, and showing theposition of the-parts after the can has been reversed and just prior tothe application of the cover thereto, and

Figs. 6 and 7, sections taken on substantially lines 66 and 7 ,7,respectively, of

Fig. 4.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawingscomprises a suitable frame work 10 in which are provided superposedhorizontally extending longitudinal guides 11 and 12 for the cans andcovers to be cleaned. Suitable mechanism is provided, operable by anoscillatory manually operable lever 13, fulcrumed at 14, for effectingintermittent feeding or advancing of the cans and covers through themachine on guides 11 and 12. In this intermittent feeding or advancingof the cans and covers, through the machine, the same are subjected to acleansing, sterilizing and drying process, the mechanism for eflectingsuch treatment of the cans and covers and for advancing or feeding thesame through the machine, not being claimed in this application, andhence detail description thereof is omitted.

After the cans and covers have passed through the cleansing process, asmentioned, the same are ready for discharge from the machine and to thisend are passed from the guides 11 and 12 on to inclined guides 15 and16, respectively, down which said cans and covers are adapted to slideby gravity. The cans which are designated by the letters A, in thepassage of the same along the guide 11, are in an inverted position, andas each can is discharged or pushed from the guide 11, the same drops toposition in a substantially semi-cylindrically formed clearly seen inFig. 4. The member 17 is of a size to snugly receive the can, end pieces19 and 20 being adapted to engage with the opposite ends of the can tohold the same against relative longitudinal movement. The can reversingmember 17 is so balanced that normally the same assumes the positionshown in Fig. 4, or one in which the same is adapted to receive a candis- ,charged from guide 11. Actuation of the member 17 to effectreversal of the can is efl'ected by means of a toggle 21, fulcrumed at22, the opposite end of said toggle being connected at 23 with one endof said member 17. Actuation of said toggle is efiected by means of alink 24 which is pivotally connected at one end with the lower end of ancausing breaking to the left of the knee joint of the toggle with theresult of causmg oscillation of the can reversing member 17 to theposition shown in Fig. 5. When said member 17 reaches this position, the

.can drops by gravity therefrom on to the inclined guide 15. The fall ofthe can on to guide 15 is broken by a tiltable or yieldable plate 29which is fulcrumed at 30, a

weight 31 serving normally to hold said plate in an elevated or upwardlyinclined position, as seen in Fig. 4, for engagement with the lower endof the can in the deposit of the same onto guide 15. The can thusdeposited onthe guide 15 slides down the latter by gravity, being.arrested, however, in its downward movement by means of an arm 32 whichis fulcrumed at 33, as

. clearly seen in Fig. 3. One end 34 of arm 32 extends laterally,engaging in a slot 35 provided in the actuating bar 28. The arrangementis such, that in the movement of the bar 28 to the terminal of itsmovement which brings the roller 27 into operative relation with the arm25, .as above described, the arm 32 will be rocked inwardly to traversethe path of the can to arrest movement of the same down the guide 15, asabove mentioned.

At the same time that a can is discharged from the can guide 11, thecover B thereof sliding on the guide 12, will be pushed or dischargedfrom the latter on to the inclined guide 16 down which the cover willslide by gravity. In order to arrest the movement of the cover duringthe can reversing operation, .above described, a plate 36 is providedpositioned between the spaced rails of which the guide 16 is comprised,

said plate 36 being fixed to a transversely extending shaft 37, havingan axis located substantially in or just below the plane of said guiderails, and located intermediate the ends of said plate, as seen in Fig.4.

.The shaft 37 engages with spaced reinforcing ribs 36 provided on theunder side of plate 36. One end of the shaft 37 is provided with alaterally projecting crank 38.

Pivotally connected with the rearward end of the plate 36 is a link 39,the rearward transversely extending bar of said link slidably engagingin elongated slots 40 provided in a supplemental longitudinallyextending bar 40' arranged between the rails of guide 16, as clearlyseen in Fig. 2.- The arrangement is such that the plate 36 nor.

mally, by gravity, assumes a position as seen in Fig. 4, wherein therearward end thereof projects above the guide 16, causing the link 39 toproject horizontally from said guide, in which position of said member39 the same is adapted to engage with a cover B in the descent thereofupon the guide 16 and arresting the movement of the same, as clearlyseen in Fig. 4. Arising from the actuating bar 28 is an arm or contactpost 38 which is adapted, upon actuation of said bar in the direction tocause actuation of the can reversing member 17, as above described, tocontact with the crank 38 of shaft-37 and rock the same to the positionshown in Fig. 5. When this is done the plate 36 is rocked into coplanarposition relative to the cover guide 16, causing lowering of the link 39and hence release of the cover so as to permit of continued travel ofthe latter upon the guide. When-the cover is thus released the sameslides to a position on to the lower or forward end of the plate 36, asseen in Fig. 5. In this position, the cover engages with a second plate41 arranged above the plate 36 and pivoted at 42. Upward pivotalmovement of the lower or free end of plate 41 is limited by a bar 43. r

The cover will remain in this position above the can which is of courseheld by reason of the stop arm 32, until the bar 28 is retracted. Whenthis is done the stop arm 32 will be released to permit of the travel ofthe can and the plate 36 will also be released, and under the weight ofthe cover will rock downwardly engaging against the upper end of the canon to which the released cover will be deposited, as will be readilyunderstood. In this guiding or depositing of the cover on to the upperend of the can, the plate 41 of course cooperates with the plate 36, thecover being adapted to slide between said plates, as will be readilyunderstood. To insure accurate guiding of the cover the plate 36 ischanneled, as seen. This means of handling of the cover has been foundextremely accurate and positive. The can with its cover thus applied ofcourse continues down the guide 15 as the same is discharged from themachine.

Each subsequent can and cover is similarly handled, the operation of theparts, except for the reciprocation of the bar 28, being entirelyautomatic. In order to lock the reversing member 17 in can receivingposition so as to adapt the same to withstand the rough usage to whichthe same is subjected by reason of the dropping of the can to positionthereon, the arrangement and operation'ofjche togg e 21'is such that thesame passes beyond dead-center position in the return rocking ofthereversing mem- "ber 17. This movement of the toggle to a memes positionbeyond the dead-center is insured by a weight 24: provided upon one endof link 24, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. With this arrangement it will beseen that the pressure or weight of a can upon the reversing member,cannot possibly eifect swinging of the tions and modifications as comewithin the.

scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: i

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of superposedcan and cover guides; and means for, receiving a cover from said coverguide and delivering the same to and depositing the same on a canpositioned on said can guide, said last mentioned means comprising apair of vertically movable members between which a cover is adapted toslide, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of superposedcan and cover guides; and means for receiving a cover from said coverguide and delivering the same to and depositing the same on a canpositioned on said can guide, said last mentioned means comprising apair of cooperating vertically swinging members between which a cover isadapted to slide, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of superposedcan and cover guides; means for receiving a cover from said cover guideand delivering the same to and depositing the same on a can posi--tioned on said can guide, said last mentioned 'means comprising a pairof superposed spaced swingingly mounted members between which a coveris. adapted to slide, said members normally assuming a downwardlyinclined position; and means for holding said members in elevatedposltlon to arrest the movement of a cover posltloned between the sameand for releasing said members at a predetermined time to permit ofdownward swinging of the same to release the cover, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of superposedcan and cover guides; means for receiving a cover from said cover guideand delivering the same to and depositing the same on a can positionedon said can guide, said last mentioned means comprising a pair ofsuperposed spaced swingingly mounted members between which a cover isadapted to slide, said means normally assuming a downwardly inclinedposition; means for holding said members in elevated position to arrestthe movement of a cover positioned between the same and for releasingsaid members at a predetermined time to permit of downward swinging ofthe same to release the cover; and means for arresting the movement of acan on said can guide and releasing the can simultaneously with therelease of said cover guiding members, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of superposedinclined can and cover guides down which the cans and covers are adaptedto slide by gravity; means for receiving a cover from said cover guideand delivering the same to and depositing the same on a can positionedon said can guide, said last mentioned means comprising a plate tiltablymounted on a transverse axis arranged intermediate the ends of said mem-9o ber, in a plane substantially the same as the plane of said coverguide; a link pivotally connected with one end of said plates adapted,upon upward swinging of said end of said plate to assume a positionadapting the same to arrest the movement of a cover traveling down saidcover guide, said link upon downward rocking of said end of said platebeing adapted to release the cover to permit of sliding of the same downthe cover guide to a position on the opposite end of said plate; meansfor holding the-cover on said end of said plate; and means for releasingsaid plate at a predetermined time to permit of descent of the cover onto a can positioned on said can guide, substantially as described. 6. Ina machine of the class described, the combination of superposed inclinedcan and cover guides down which the cans and covers are adapted to slideby gravity; means for receiving a cover from said cover guide anddelivering the same to and depositing the same on a can positioned onsaid can guide, said last mentioned means comprising a plate tiltablymounted on a transverse a-Xis arranged intermediate the ends of saidmember, in a plane substantially the same asthe plane of said coverguide; a link pivotally connected with one end of said. plate adapted,upon upward swinging of said end of said plate to assume a positionadaptingthe. same to arrest. the movement of a cover traveling down saidcover guide, said link upon downward rocking of said end of said platebeing adapted to re- I25 end of said first mentioned plate; and means1130 for releasing said last mentioned plate at a predetermined time topermit of descent of the cover thereon onto a can positioned on said canguide, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of superposedinclined can and cover guides down which the cans and covers are adaptedto slide by gravity; a can reversing device adapted to receive andreverse a can and deposit the sameon to said can guide; means forarresting the movement of a cover on said cover guide "movement of thecan and agaln arrestlng during the reversing operation of said reversingdevlce; means for arrestmg the movement of the can and cover on saidguides in substantially superposed positions; and means for guidlng thecover from said cover guide and depositing the same on to the can uponsubsequent release of the can and cover, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, thecombination ofsuperposedinclined can and cover guides down WhlCh a can and a cover are adaptedto slide by gravity; means for temporarily arresting the movement of thecan and cover on said guides and means adapted, upon release of said canand cover, to guide the latter from the cover glnde and are adapted toslide by gravity; a 'can re versing device adapted to receive andreverse a can and deposit the same on to said can guide; means fortemporarily arresting the movement of the cover on said cover guide,during reversing operation of said reversing device; means for arrestingthe the movement of the cover and simultaneouslyreleasing the same; andmeans adapted, upon said last mentioned release of the cover to guidethe same from the cover guide and deposit the same on to the can,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presenceot' two subscribing Witnesses.

HARRY D. LATHROP. WALTER H. PAULSON. I

Witnesses:

JosHUA R. H. Po'r'rs, ATHUR A. OLSON.

